The Ballad Of Ianto Jones
by Ianto's Spirit
Summary: Ianto's story from when he joins Torchwood onwards. More original than some other Ianto stories. Rated T for later chapters. Slight Janto, features all episodes, all suggestions appreciated. Please read and review! Updated regularly. x
1. Joining Torchwood

I do not own Torchwood, Russell T Davies has that privilege. This is my first fanfiction, so please review and let me know what you think! Sorry this chapter is slightly slow, its just to introduce the story! Hope you enoy this!

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Ianto hitched up his jeans, trampling over the remains of weeds which nestled in the sticky, liquid mud of the forest floor. He plucked distastefully at his raincoat, missing the feel of his suit. He tried not to reminisce, but it was so difficult sometimes... His coffee machine, being ordered around by Yvonne...having someone to order him about, the hustle and bustle of the Institute, looking past his desk and looking into Lisa's beautiful brown eyes...No. He couldn't think about Lisa now. She was alive, and he had to concentrate on the task at hand, had to concentrate on ensuring she was cured.

Ianto started when he heard grunts and yells of pain, before he saw a man lying flat on the ground, and a creature on top of him, biting and scratching at him viciously. Instinctively, he grabbed a large branch and ran towards him, before repeatedly striking at the creature. The creature jumped from the man and looked straight at him, its mouth curled into a vicious snarl, its black marble eyes glistening. Wait... Wasn't that a Weevil? Ianto struck it across the face with the branch, hoping to incapacitate it, but that merely made it stumble, before the Weevil got its hand on Ianto's shoulders, trying to bite at his throat. Ianto grappled with it for a moment, feeling the cold dread in the pit of his stomach that he always got from looking into a Weevil's eyes... before the Weevil lunged. Ianto closed his eyes and tried not to scream, as he realised that he was going to die; That the Weevil with one snap of its shark-like teeth would destroy his throat...And then there was a muffled sound and a thud. Ianto opened his eyes to see the strange man pinning the Weevil to the ground, subduing it and putting a bag over it's head and injecting it with a sedative. Ianto threw the branch to the ground and both men gasped for breath, adrenaline pumping through Ianto's veins.

"Thanks." Ianto panted.

"No, Thank you." The man said in a rich american accent."And you are?"

"Jones," Ianto introduced, trying to appear cool and collected despite the fact he was still shaking slightly. "Ianto Jones."

"Well, Hello Jones, Ianto Jones." The american smiled. "Im Jack Harkness." Ianto tried not to allow a broad grin to slip across his face. He'd found his captain.

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Ianto walked over to the bay, liking the familiar heat that spread across his fingers from holding a fresh, hot cup of coffee.

He had used the term 'Weevil', which would have, of course, piqued the Captain's interest, and knowing all Torchwood staff's insatiable curiosity, Captain Harkness would have of course looked him up.

He arrived outside the "Tourist information centre", remembering Torchwood Three's location from the archives in the Junior Reseacher had had many benefits; He knew more about Torchwood than anybody. He had a few minutes to brace himself mentally before the handsome Captain himself strode out, his greatcoat billowing behind him.

"Morning!" Ianto greeted cheerfully, contradicting with the anxiety flooding his brain as he considered what would happen if he didn't get a job here. He held out his mug. "Coffee?" (He had thought it best to use his strong point to his advantage. Everything seemed better when you had a good coffee down you, which he knew from various personal experiences.)

The captain took the mug and gazed at him suspiciously over the top of it. Ianto gazed hopefully back to him. The captain looked vaguely disinterested. "Wow."

"I wanna work for you," Ianto blurted out, Silently praising himself for acting so cool and disinterested.

"Sorry. No vacancies."

"Look, let me tell you about myself," Ianto said desperately. Please God let this work, I cant live with myself if I let Lisa down again..."

"Ianto Jones, born august 19th 1983. Able student, but not exceptional. One minor conviction for shoplifting in your teens." Ianto blanched slightly. It wasnt his fault his father only worked in Debenhams, He couldn't afford most things, and he had been a foolish teen. But those clothes were really fashionable..."Number of temporary jobs, mainly a drifter, until two years ago you joined the Torchwood Institute in London. Junior researcher, girlfriend, Lisa Hallett." Ianto tried not to gasp with pain at the mere mention of her name, as he instantly began wondering if she was feeling any better, and if she would ever forgive him for letting her be changed into that thing... "Deceased." Ianto added quickly, trying to eliminate any enquiries into Lisa.

"Sorry." The captain said, with no tone of remorse in his voice.

"Look," Ianto said, panic rising in him. "You checked me out..."

"You knew what a Weevil was. Thought I was going to have to come 'deal with you'."

"But instead, you can see I have the right qualifications for the job."

"There is no job. Were nothing to do with Torchwood London. I severed all links." That would have seemed strange to Ianto, as the other Torchwood bases were proud to have contact with the Institute itself, but from the records, it was clear nothing was 'normal' about this Captain Jack Harkness.

The Captain started walking forwards, and Ianto ran up to him, grabbing his shoulder.

"Yet when it burnt, two members of your team scavenged the ruins." Ianto persisted.

"I didn't want the equipment getting into the wrong hands."

"And your the right hands, are you?" This was becoming more difficult than Ianto had anticipated. He had to keep talking, had to make sure he didnt lose him. "Trial period, Three months?"

"No."

"Three weeks. Three days!" Ianto could feel nausea rising inside him.

"Let me prove myself to you, I'll work for nothing!" Ianto tried to keep tears from running into his eyes, stopping his voice from becoming a sob.

"No." The Captain said heartlessly.

Ianto walked in front of him and pushed him back slightly again, feeling anger rise within him. Why was this man so dead set against him?

"I saw what they did at Canary Wharf. What am I supposed to do with those memories?

"You are not my responisbility. And we are not hiring." The Captain said impatiently.

The captain walked past him. Ianto gazed after him, determined.

"Same time tommorow, then."

Captain Harkness shouted something, but Ianto ouldnt hear him. He was planning.

It didnt take Ianto long to find the Pterodactyl, or Pteranadon, as it was called officially. There had been rumours of it around the Institute, But Yvonne had refused to do anything about it.

"Let Torchwood Three deal with it," Yvonne had said when he confronted her about it. "If they dont want anything to do with us, then we dont want anything to do with them." Nevertheless, Ianto had used the Rift Activity Locator - which he had snatched from the wreckage - to trace the prehistoric creature back to a large abandoned warehouse, and found the Torchwood SUV totally by coincidence whilst walking back from the warehouse, along the motorway.

After he told the stubborn Captain, he hesitantly agreed to go with him to the warehouse. The plan was falling into place.

After a long, and difficult struggle, Ianto and the captain had subdued the dinosaur. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, ianto felt excited, elated, and hopeful. As well as curious. This captain was either mad, or he had travelled through time. But the archives couldnt be correct on all counts could they? Must have been a few different Captain Jacks, or just this one, who must be a schizophrenic who fabricated records. Either way, there was something strange about Captain Jack... Jack landed on top of Ianto after falling from the sedated dinosaur's grip. They both laughed triumphantly, before there was silence. Ianto was painfully aware of how intimately close Jack was. His heart thudded painfully ,as he remembered Lisa. "I should go..." He murmured.

"Hey. Report for work first thing tommorow morning."

As he walked away, tears jerked into Ianto's eyes. It was happening. He had done it.

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Thanks for reading 'The Ballad of Ianto Jones'! I will update regularly, and please review and let me know what you think! Take care x


	2. PC Gwen Cooper

Sorry for the delay...The joys of exams and coursework =) Anyways, some light Gwen-bashing, I love Gwen, but I couldn't help it =P Enjoy! x

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"Erm...Bianco? Oh god, I'm terrible with names, umm.."

"Oi, teaboy!" Owen yelled from the autopsy room.

Ianto started, jerking out of his daydream.

"Thanks Owen, Sorry um..Gwen?"

"Yeah," Gwen Smiled.

"It's Ianto, and don't worry, it's your first day, just as long as you remember that weevils aren't nice you can learn the rest later."

Gwen laughed, the sound painfully similiar to Lisa's gentle, happy laugh. She sounded so much like Lisa.

"Thanks...Ianto."

"What is it you need anyway?"

"Owen said to ask you about where the toolkit was, and I quote; "Just ask teaboy, he knows where all that useless alien crap is kept. " How is a toolkit 'alien'? Anyway, I figured that 'teaboy' was you, because Jack can't work a kettle from what I've seen..God, I'm rambling aren't I? Sorry."

Ianto rubbed Gwen's back, walking her down some stairs, through the vaults.

"Gwen, you found out aliens were real, got a job as an alien-catcher, and saw a man get brought back to life all within a week. When people get nervous they tend to ramble a bit."

Gwen laughed slightly, following Ianto down the stone steps.

"Where are we going?"

"The cells. I had to 'fix' the door after we captured that weevil that you saw. Almost rammed the door down whilst I was trying to fix a tag on it.

Gwen snorted. "What like a name tag?"

"Yeah, has all her details on it. We should name it though. I might recommend 'Margaret' to Jack."

Gwen laughed, grinning widely. "I'd have thought that was the pterodactyl's name!" She teased.

"No, thats Myfanwy."

Gwen giggled (Ianto started at the sound- she didn't seem like a 'giggly' person) Then quieted.

"You're being serious aren't you?"

"Deadly. And Gwen-" Ianto handed Gwen the toolbox. "Relax. Owen's a bit of a prick sometimes, but Jack and Tosh will keep you on the right page."

Gwen nodded, then tried to sound confident, but there was a shaky undertone in her voice.

"I'm not nervous."

"Gwen, You've laughed at me around seven times already. I know I'm a hoot, but I'm hardly Lee Evans. Thats another symptom of nerves."

Gwen grinned. "What, excessive laughing at Welsh teaboy?"

"_Coffee _boy, if you must, although I prefer Coffee Master, or Coffee genius."

Gwen laughed again, heading up the stairs.

"Wrong stairs Gwen."

Gwen blanched, heading back and to the other stairs.

"Right...thanks."

"Good luck, Gwen. Day one, eh? You'll soon get the hang of it."

Gwen swivelled around and dropped the toolbox, yelling out just as Jack breezed past, catching the box in midair, and handing it back to Gwen with a patronising smile.

"Ianto, a word, and Gwen, tell Owen to get his arse in gear and quit playing space invaders on 1.5 Million pounds worth of the most advanced computer technology this side of the universe."

Gwen, still embarassed, nodded and headed up the correct stairs, stumbling over her own feet.

"Did I walk under a ladder this morning?" She complained.

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Sorry for the briefness of it, the story will really get started next chapter, and I've nearly finished the next chapter already. Please review, thanks for reading! x


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